lenfestscholarsblog

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Mozelle Thompson Imparts Experiential Wisdom at Former School

A familiar face to all Lenfest Scholars, Mozelle Thompson has been a friend of the program since 2009 when he served as a guest speaker at that year's Lenfest Weekend. Since then, Mozelle has appeared frequently at Lenfest Weekends offering counsel, perspective and generally good tips to Scholars about how to pursue a meaningful life and career.

Recently Mozelle made a return trip to his alma mater Columbia University to share similar tips with students of the Columbia International Relations Council. Here's a brief recap of the event, as told by Council VP and LFCS '12 scholar Zunaira Mubasher:

On October 10th, Mozelle Thompson (Columbia College '76) returned to Columbia’s campus with the mission to impart lessons learned from his experiences to current Columbia students. As an alumnus, Thompson's resume now includes his roles as a graduate of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission and founder/CEO of Thompson Strategic Consulting, which provides legal, policy and business advice to companies like Facebook, Walt Disney, and Samsung.

He reflected that his time at Columbia polished his critical thinking skills, enhanced his confidence and taught him the value of a good idea.  “I learned to fight for ideas and if you have good ideas, the rest will come,” said Thompson. He spoke candidly about the importance of leveraging strengths, acquiring a “tool kit” of skills, and conducting oneself genuinely and generously. The 90 minute event was extended to three hours by questions and active participation from the audience.  The conversation, which began around 8:45 p.m., only ended hours later around 1 a.m. in the greasy booths of JJ’s Place, a nearby restaurant. This speaks to how powerfully his words resonated with Columbia’s student body.

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Meghan Miller on her freshman experience so far

Meghan Miller (LCSP '13) is well into her first semester as a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa. The Octorara High School grad talks about her first five days in school and why she misses high school assignments...

Nothing says "college" quite like a toga party...Meghan (far right) poses with her dorm friends before heading off to a Penn-sponsored event for New Student Orientation.

My first month at the University of Pennsylvania was amazing. It started out with New Student Orientation (NSO): five days before classes where Penn plans nothing but fun, social activities for freshmen. We had a scavenger hunt in the Van Pelt Library, a party at the Philadelphia Art Museum (which Penn rented out just for NSO), a toga party at Penn’s Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and all the free food and t-shirts you can imagine. These first few days were great because the only requirements were meeting people and having fun.

Classes started the following Monday. As a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences I can only take four courses first semester. My course load includes French, Intro to Political Communication, Emily Dickinson at Large, and Survey of the Universe. I thought high school was difficult, but compared to college, I miss my high school workload! Unsurprisingly, the rumor that there’s a ton of reading in college is actually true. What has helped ease my concerns about classes is talking to my professors; by speaking to them, I’ve learned the expectations for the class and for me as a student.

Overall I’ve been loving my time at Penn. I’ve met people from all over the world, which is something I never experienced in high school and one of my favorite things about college. The people in my hall are really close so we do a lot of activities together. I love living in the city and being so close to everything.

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The Story of the Lenfest College Scholarship Program

At a recent celebratory dinner for the newest class of Lenfest Scholars, longtime program adviser Roger Lehecka explained to those in attendance the origins of the Lenfest College Scholarship Program and how it's grown over the past 11 years.

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Evelyn Wagaman on her decision to attend Oberlin College

Evelyn Wagaman (LFCS '13), a recent graduate of Spring Grove High School, will be headed to Oberlin College in Ohio at the end of this month to begin her college experience. She tells us how a fellow Lenfest Scholar initially piqued her interest in the school:

Evelyn poses in her Oberlin College Class of 2017 t-shirt.

If I were trying to make my story wholesome and proper, I would lie and say that at Lenfest Weekend last year, I first became interested in Oberlin College due to a comprehensive discussion of the merits and drawbacks of multiple liberal arts colleges with several of my fellow scholars. But I think you deserve the truth, so I'll tell you: it has more to do with swearing.

Profanity is a funny thing. I respect it for its linguistic purposes. (Studies have demonstrated that invoking the power of a four-letter word after stubbing your toe or suffering some similar injury can actually reduce your pain.) On the other hand, when overused, obscenities not only lose their clout, they lose their taste as well.

Being interested in linguistics, I’ve contemplated for a while where the threshold lies between classy cussing and all-out foulness. Mild words are easy; some of the stronger words are harder to peg down. The F-word has been particularly elusive. I've only rarely heard it used well, but when done, it has been masterful. Artful. A Triumph of the English Language.

Ted Waddelow did it.*    

I don't remember, now, the exact sentence that made such an impression. I should have written it down. But let me tell you, there was "f-ck," and there was "proclivity," and they were coexisting in the same harmonious sentence.

"Wow," I thought. "If I go to Oberlin, I can learn to do that."

Lucky for me, Oberlin College checked out in other respects as well: namely, the solid academics, the global-minded student body, and albino squirrels.

Thus I'm headed there this fall. 

    *Editor's note: Ted is a 2007 Lenfest Scholar from Greencastle and a 2011 graduate of Oberlin College.

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Virtual Postcard: Tommy Neff in Germany

Tommy Neff (LFCS '10), a mechanical engineering major at Drexel University, sends a few words from his summer study abroad experience in Bochum, Germany!

Dates: 

  I arrived in Germany on July 3 and will be staying until September 16. Currently I am about half way through my journey.

Location:

I am staying in a small city in west Germany known as Bochum. Although it is fairly small and there are limited things to do, Bochum is surrounded by other cities. Dusseldorf, Hattingen, Koln, Dortmund, Essen, Munster, and many other cities are just a short train ride away. This is great for day trips over the weekend.

Another interesting fact about Bochum is that it used to be a big region for mining and producing weapons; because of this, the entire area was heavily bombed during World War II.  So, sadly, the architecture is not the same as what you might find in other parts of Europe.

  My Experience So Far:

So far I am having a great time in Germany, and I would definitely recommend going abroad to anyone that has the chance. There are tons of new things to experience and do. My favorite thing about being here is that traveling is super convenient and cheap. Whether you go by train or plane, most of Europe is only a few hours away. Over the past two weekends I have traveled to Barcelona and Amsterdam. Before I leave, I also have plans to travel to Berlin, Krakow, Paris, and Venice.

Another good thing about Germany is the food. If you like beer and sausage, then this is good place to go. I'm not the biggest fan of beer, but when you are in Germany and the beer is cheaper than water, it's hard not to drink.

Finally, the most challenging thing about being in Germany is overcoming the language barrier. German is a very difficult language to learn and the pronunciation is the worst. Although most people here do speak a little bit of English, the one thing I miss about the US is being able to freely approach people to start a conversation.

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Summer Science & Service-Learning

John Archibald (LFCS '12) spent three weeks this summer serving as a Resident Teaching Assistant at the University of Pennsylvania's Summer Academy of Applied Science and Technology.

John studies mechanical engineering at Penn. (Photo credit: Andrew McGrath)

190 high schoolers from all over the world participated in the engineering program that offered courses in such areas as Biotechnology, Computer Science and Complex Networks. John worked with the Robotics students that culminated in a final project called ROBOTANKS.

According to John, the students had to "build a robot that could drive and launch projectiles at targets and each other! The students definitely rose to the challenge and they created some very interesting and functional robots."

Students at Penn's summer science program participate in their culminating project: a battle of the bots. (Photo credit: Andrew McGrath)

At the end of the three weeks, John tweeted this about his experience:

The past three weeks I have been teaching 36 smart, hard-working, goal-driven high schoolers and it was a great experience.

— John Archibald (@jarchy14)

July 26, 2013

He added, "I was able to teach [the students] a lot, as well as learn a lot from them. I also learned a lot from my coworkers and professor as we designed and built the circuits, beacons, targets, lab kits and arena."

Here's to making the most of those lazy days of summer!

  (Click here for the Flickr photos from John's SAAST group experience.)

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SCHOLAR IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Calvin Woodring

Name: Calvin Woodring Age: 25 High School: Octorara High School College:  Dartmouth College Area of Study: English, Teacher Education Favorite Food: Sashimi tuna and rice. Favorite Book: The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann

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The idea of spending 18 months on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean may be intimidating to some people -- downright terrifying to others -- but for Calvin Woodring (LFCS '06), it was the adventure of a lifetime.

    Calvin recently returned from volunteering for a year and a half teaching English as a second language to school children in the small island country of Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). A seasoned traveler, having visited Trinidad and Tobago and Kenya during his time in college, Calvin was no stranger to expeditions abroad. But his time in the Marshall Islands proved to be a unique experience. 

    The Marshall Islands is an archipelago located northeast of Australia, the nearest continent, in the Pacific Ocean. The United States invaded the islands and occupied them during World War II as part of its war against the Japanese army. Beginning in 1946 and enduring into the late '50s, the United States used the RMI as testing grounds for nuclear weapons. Although the nation gained its independence in 1979, the U.S. continued to pay reparations for fallout from the testing as late as 1998. (The total dollar figure is estimated to be at least $759 million. See here.) The foreign aid relationship between the RMI and the United States continues today.

    Here Calvin talks about his experience, how it shaped his professional goals and why volunteering abroad is as much about conviction as it is about personal growth.

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How did you first learn about the Dartmouth Volunteer Teaching Program and what piqued your interest in it?

The DVTP has been sending volunteer teachers to the Marshall Islands for more than 10 years; it’s a fairly well-known program around campus.  The program was started by Andrew Garrod, a much-loved and respected figure at Dartmouth and one of my favorite professors.  When I decided to pursue teacher education, I knew I wanted to spend some time teaching abroad, so I signed up for the program during my junior year.  I was most excited about the chance to live in a new place and experience an unfamiliar culture but in a role that would allow me to become a part of the community there.  It was also an opportunity to get some experience teaching in a classroom full-time!

Calvin with his students. "The students recognized that I took them seriously," he says.

    How much preparation did you have for your experience -- both for teaching English and for living in another country?

I think the Dartmouth Teacher Education Program prepared me well for the challenges that I would face as a teacher in the Marshall Islands.  Good pedagogic practice -- especially a foundation in lesson planning and classroom management -- is essential in any teaching environment.  My student-teaching at Lebanon High School in New Hampshire also went a long way towards preparing me to run a classroom five days a week.  As for the specific challenges of teaching English as a Second Language and living in another country, the DVTP did a great job of providing support in the field.  Our field director, the incomparable Carleigh Beriont, was available for weekly radio check-ins (the most reliable form of inter-island communication).

What were your first impressions landing in the Marshall Islands?

Landing in a 737 at the Majuro Airport was a little scary -- all I could see on either side of the plane was water! The Marshalls are coral atolls, only a few hundred feet wide at most points.  Majuro has a lot of urban sprawl; I was surprised at the number of cars and people.  Sadly, one of the biggest challenges facing the RMI is waste management.  When cars die, for example, they end up on the beach or in yards.  Despite these consequences of the adopted consumer culture, the natural beauty of the place was apparent in the crystal blue water of the lagoon.  Jaluit (the atoll where I taught) was much more rural, with a population of about 1000, only a handful of vehicles and no paved roads.  Upon getting off the boat after my 17-hour journey, I was struck by the tight-knit feel of the community; my new neighbors were there to greet me at the dock.  Everyone was curious about the new “ri-belle” (American) on the island.

Sunset off the main island of Majuro.

  Can you tell us a bit about your living situation during your time there? What was the hardest thing to adjust to? What did you enjoy about it?

For the first six months, I lived on Jaluit by myself. I stayed in staff housing at Jaluit High School; the apartment had relative luxuries like running water and an electric oven. I enjoyed having time to myself, but one of the challenges early on was making connections with other members of the community. The Marshallese are quite shy by nature, and although their hospitality cannot be overstated, they are often hesitant to make the first move. Over time, I found some great ways to connect with my neighbors and co-workers.  Fishing, especially, gave me an opportunity to become friends with the men in the community. By the time I left, I felt like I knew almost everyone on the island, and it was hard to say goodbye to the friends I had made.

What was the biggest lesson you learned teaching English to students of another language/culture?

One of the most important things I learned was that, even when the stakes seemed low, professionalism and high expectations were the surest ways to get my students to “buy in” to their education. The school system in the RMI suffers from a lack of well-trained teachers, and as a result, students are used to wasting time in class. I tried to come to class with strong lesson plans and objectives every day; even if they chafed under more schoolwork than they were used to, the students recognized that I took them seriously and repaid this respect.

Did you ever get homesick? How did you cope with being away from America, your family and friends for 18 months?

For the first few weeks, I was so overwhelmed by the newness of my situation that I didn’t miss home that much. During my second and third months, however, homesickness set in. The best cure for this feeling, I found, was to get out in the community and make new friends. I went to church every Sunday, which helped to forge some lasting friendships. Towards the beginning, I wrote a lot of letters back home, but as time went on, and I became more integrated with my surroundings, these tailed off. That kind of isolation from my “past life” was a little frightening, but it was the inevitable consequence of making Jaluit a true home.  (Of course, I am now happy to be reunited with my friends and family here in the US!)

What kind of connections did you make with the people of the RMI? How did you make them, given the language barrier that existed (at least at first)?

Most of the people on Jaluit spoke a little English, and I learned enough Marshallese to start up basic conversations.  Fortunately, Marshallese culture does not know "the awkward silence,” and it is not at all uncommon for five men to spend a day fishing without speaking a word to one another! A lot of my friendships were formed through common activities rather than conversation. To have a happy social life in the RMI, you have to make yourself available -- taking “jambos” (walks) around the island was a great way to meet people.  Sitting outside one of the handful of coffee shops and window stores around town was also a common social activity.  

Calvin dancing at a party in the school's library. "When the women request a dance, there's no stopping them!"

    Now that you're back home, how do you think this experience has influenced who you are as a person?

I think that I have gained a great deal of self-confidence from my time in the Marshalls, as a teacher and otherwise. One of the things I realized is that I can adapt to almost any situation and be content! I am more thoughtful about the conveniences and luxuries we enjoy as Americans, and more convinced that happiness lies outside of these material things.    

What are your future plans? How did volunteering to teach English in another country prepare you for them?

Right now, I’m working for an education start-up in Boston; my job involves tutoring and designing curriculum for a wide range of learners. I think that I will return to classroom teaching in the near future.  A year and a half of teaching in a school with relatively few resources has made me a more inventive lesson-planner, and working with English language learners has taught me ways of breaking down instruction into its most basic parts.  Moreover, my time in the Marshalls has deepened my conviction that teaching is the most rewarding vocation of all. 

What advice do you have for Scholars who might be interested in having long-term experiences in other countries/cultures?

Living and working in another country can teach you a lot about your own strengths, but make sure you have a sense of purpose in signing up for a volunteer position abroad.  Often, I think, college graduates go abroad to “find” themselves, but the challenges of adapting to a new culture can frustrate this kind of leisurely self-reflection.  If you don’t have a firm belief in the importance of your work, feelings of homesickness and discomfort can become overwhelming.  Find a program with a mission that matches your own ambitions and get a sense of the professional support it provides for its volunteers. Your fellow Lenfest Scholars are a great resource for getting started!

Feel free to send me an email if you’d like to know more! calvinwoodring@gmail.com

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THE GIVING PLEDGE

In 2010, Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett began asking the world's wealthiest people to make a pledge. That pledge would be to give away, in their lifetimes and beyond, more than half of their wealth to philanthropy. Three years later, the number of those committed to the pledge has reached 114 and includes names like Michael Bloomberg, Paul Allen, Mark Zuckerberg and George Lucas.

Gerry Lenfest, along with his wife Marguerite, was one of the first billionaires the Gates and Buffet turned to. From the moment their foundation was created in 2000, the Lenfests had served as an example of the kind of philanthropy The Giving Pledge sought to endorse.

Above, in his own words, Gerry explains why he and Marguerite decided to sign the pledge. He mentions the "joy" he and Marguerite feel in "giving to worthwhile causes." The Lenfest Scholarship program was one of the first causes the Lenfests devoted themselves to, and it remains one of the biggest priorities for The Lenfest Foundation to this day.

As he states in the letter, "one is not measured by how many homes, yachts or airplanes you have. The ultimate achievement is how you feel about yourself. ... giving your wealth away to have an impact for good does help with that feeling."

May Gerry and Marguerite continue to inspire all of us Scholars to give what we have -- our time, talents and dreams -- to better our communities.

  Colleen Seidel, LFCS '03 YALSF moderator

For more on The Giving Pledge, GivingPledge.org Forbes.com Philanthropy.com

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IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Emery Etter on Living Life Away from "The Checklist"

Emery Etter (LFCS '08) held a particular interest in what Astronuat Dr. Ellen Baker had to say in her keynote speech to Lenfest Scholars at this year's Lenfest Weekend. The recent aerospace engineering graduate from Penn State is fascinated by all things space. 

Emery recently presented his senior design project -- research regarding radiation protection and methods to mitigate bone and muscle loss in astronauts doing interplanetary travel -- at a NASA-sponsored event at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Emery in front of Pad A, which was used during the shuttle program, on a recent visit to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In his own words, Emery had this to say about Dr. Baker's speech and what he took from it:

  Personally, I thought her speech and presentation was excellent.  In my eyes, her speech really drove at one piece of wisdom that I think is very important for us to understand.

   Most people, especially Lenfest scholars, have everything planned out.  It seems as if we all carry around a checklist throughout our lives.  "I have to get this score. I have to go to this school. I have to get this degree. I have to get this job."  It is a very specific process, and we believe there exists only one path to happiness and success.  Ellen obviously had no interest in following some long, autonomous checklist.  Instead she told us of how she wanted to play for the Yankees, and how she got a degree in geology, and then decided to go to medical school to become a physician, and then added another degree in public health, and then finally became an astronaut.  All of these achievements may seem completely disjointed to the untrained eye, but as she continued, an enormous commonality emerged.  No matter her pursuit, Ellen consistently relied upon her passion, curiosity, interest, and diligence in order to leave her stamp of excellence on everything she touched.

   It does not matter what you do.  It's about having a love of chasing down goals.  It's about giving everything you have every single day.  It's about capitalizing upon opportunities.  It's about moving through life with a smile.  It's about stepping up to challenges.  It's about making discoveries about yourself.  It's about building upon your own enterprise.  It's about expanding your horizons to take on new and exciting endeavors.

   Don't stick yourself in a box by adhering to some checklist.  There are far too many truths to learn about yourself, which you can only learn by trying new things.  Ellen's speech tells me that we should crumble up that old checklist and replace it with a new one that reads: "Live life."

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SCHOLAR IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Branka Miric

Name: Branka Miric Age: 21 High School: Chambersburg Area Senior High School College: York College of Pennsylvania Area of Study: Nursing Favorite Movie: I have so many! I have to say "The Lion King," even though I am 21. Favorite Food: Pita — it's Bosnian food.

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At this year's LFCW, the Scholars took part in a simulation exercise that was intended to teach us about what the lives of refugees are like in UNHCR camps around the world and the process of coming to America.

While reaction to the exercise's effect was mixed, one of our own Scholars had a unique perspective on the whole thing. Branka Miric (LFCS '10) was born in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, during a tumultuous civil war between the ethnic Serbs and Croats against the Muslim Bosniak majority. The conflict included "ethnic cleansing" attacks, and estimates of the number of people killed during the four year war (1991-95) range from 90,000 to 300,000. (For an excellent photo essay of the conflict, see here. Note: some of the images are disturbing.)

Branka and her family found safety in a refugee camp in Serbia and then emigrated to the United States. Here in a Q&A, Branka, now a senior nursing major at York College of Pennsylvania, tells her story. 

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What do you remember about life in Bosnia before you emigrated to America?

     I do not have a good memory of Bosnia, since I was so young, and my childhood was immersed in war. Unfortunately I remember all the grenades, the cries, and the gunshots.

Where you aware of the conflict going on? How? What did your parents let you know or try to shield you from? 

     I think I figured out what was going on since my dad would be gone for months at a time, and he would come back with weapons. My mom was a hairdresser for the soldiers, so when she came home I would hear her talk about soldiers and the war. I was never informed about the war directly. I just remember hearing all the negative things about the Muslims.

Can you take us through the process of how you went from Bosnia to eventually landing in America?

     I do not remember much, but I will share what I do remember. My uncle and then my grandpa emigrated to the US, so my mother and I moved to my grandpa's house. We were there for two years, and by then the war was technically over, but there was still turmoil. I remember my mother had to get permission from my father to let me leave Bosnia first, before she could flee to the US. He signed the papers and my mother and I went to the embassy to get refugee status, and hopefully leave Bosnia. My mother was denied the first time, because we already had family that emigrated. We waited a little longer (I don’t remember exactly how long) and eventually ended up in Belgrade, Serbia. There, we spent a week going through all the paper work, and I learned the "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" song. Finally, my mom was okayed to leave, and we were to fly within a week.      In the meantime, I went to my very first zoo in Serbia. I think that's my favorite memory. I saw my first peacock, and fell in love with them, so much so that I took a feather with me on the plane and into America. To me, at that time, it symbolized hope and happiness. For the first time everything seemed to be less chaotic at the zoo, and I needed a way to take the peace and happiness I felt with me.      Finally Sept. 28, 1998, came, and I was on my way to America. I loved the plane ride over. We eventually arrived to New York, where our church sponsors met us, and we boarded another little plane that flew us to Maryland. There, my grandpa and my great uncle awaited our arrival, and drove us to Waynesboro, where the rest of our family greeted us. Within the next several days, we moved into an apartment and I started going to school. My American life had officially begun.

Branka with her fellow nursing students at YCP. Branka says she wants to become a nurse because "I love how nursing takes a holistic approach to caring for people and their families."

What are some of your first memories of America?

     Everything was foreign. I hated cereal! I didn't like tacos/nachos; we had those for lunch every Wednesday at school. I couldn't understand anyone, and I didn't know how to do my homework. Thank goodness for my older cousin who helped me. I also remember crying every Friday afternoon because we had spelling tests, and I would get so discouraged and cry. My mom tried to help me study and practiced with me, but I just couldn't grasp it. Even to this day, I cannot spell well. Who would think -ough could sound like "oh" or "uff" or "oo"? My native language is very phonetic, one letter has one sound, and everything sounds the way it looks! It was very difficult assimilating to America, but by second grade I finally grasped the concept of what my life was supposed to be like, and I could then finally speak English.

What helped you acculturate to your new country and what did you find difficult? 

     I answered some of that question above. I think my greatest help was my ISL teacher, and my older cousins. They helped me with the language and my homework. Everything was difficult. I didn't like the food, I couldn't speak the language, and everyone looked at me weird. I felt very out of place.

When did you officially become an American citizen? (Or when will you?)

     I am a legal resident at the moment. I plan to get my citizenship within the next year. I definitely have to study my questions — I realized that during our Community Weekend!

Scholars at LFCW 2013 answering questions of the U.S. Citizenship test as part of the refugee immersion exercise.

How has your journey as a refugee and immigrant affected who you are today? 

     I do look at others who look different or foreign with respect; you never know their story. I try not give them the look that I received when I first came here.      I was also forced to grow up fast and miss out on a lot of my childhood, so I tend to be more mature for my age. The obvious answer is I wouldn't be here in America, doing what I do — going to school, working, being part of great organizations, etc. — if everything didn't play out the way it did.       I have also learned people are people. Their religion, political views, etc. is a part of who they are, but it does not fully define them. During the war Muslims were our biggest enemy, but today, some of my best friends are Muslim. I have learned to look passed labels and respect people regardless of their religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or political views.  

What advice can you give to the Lenfest Community about how to best interact with and help refugees if we ever come into contact with them? 

     Try to be understanding of his/her situation. They may have grown up in a war zone and July 4th fireworks might terrify them and make them cry, like they did to me my first Independence Day. It's simple: treat everyone with respect. A smile to a stranger in a strange land can mean more than money or material items. It's a feeling of being welcomed, and that means a lot because we didn't feel welcome in our own native country. 

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LFCW 2013: The Astronaut Among Us

It’s typical that keynote speakers at Lenfest Weekend are notable for reaching the height of their given profession. It’s not typical that those heights literally mean traversing the Earth’s atmosphere.

Scholars in attendance at this year’s Weekend were treated to a "life talk" during Friday night’s banquet from astronaut Dr. Ellen Baker of NASA. She shared her story of how she went from being a young girl in New York City intent on playing baseball for the Yankees to getting her medical degree from Cornell University to becoming one of the first women astronauts at NASA in June 1985.  

Scholars were impressed with the myriad topics Baker touched upon in her speech, including how toilets work on the space station (...“lots of suction,” according to Baker...), how she’s been able to share her story with thousands of elementary school kids across the country in hopes of inspiring them to become interested in the space program and what it takes to become an astronaut in one of the toughest selection processes in the country.

  I was surprised at how humble Dr. Baker remains even after breaking sound barriers, atmosphere barriers, and gender barriers.  -- Aarin Wadel (LFCS '07) (shown here with Dr. Baker after she signed a poster for his classroom!)

  Dr. Baker stayed through Saturday, talking with individual Scholars, sharing lunch, anecdotes and advice. As a community, we’d like to thank Dr. Baker for her willingness to come and share her experiences with us! It’s role models like her that keep us focused on following our dreams.

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The Lenfest Talent Show every year highlights the good and the goofy in our Scholars that may not be showcased otherwise. This year's show was no exception, with performances from slam poets, musicians, a Pi Day song (yeah!), Beauty and the Beast (double yeah!), some twerking from the Peanut Gallery (Chae Jubb...) and this awesome showdown of technical expertise to see who can solve a Rubik's Cube the fastest.

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Lenfest Weekend 2013: A Quick Review

In what's become an annual ritual of camaraderie and thoughtful exploration of ideas, Lenfest Scholars descended upon the campus of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., for the Lenfest Community Weekend 2013.

In an effort to summarize a very full weekend in far too short a space, the following is an outline of Lenfest Community Weekend 2013 in single words and phrases:

Friday = arrivals, smiles, hugs, "What are you up to now?," panel discussions, FOBs, getting lost in the dorm, cost of tuition vs. cost of attendance, how do I handle peer pressure?, ASTRONAUT, graduation watches, pictures, applause, a phantom ice cream social (seriously, did anyone go?), lights out and freezing cold dorm rooms with NO BLANKETS!

Saturday = breakfast (last-minute for some), terrible coffee, refugee education No. 1 (shout out, M.I.A.), history lessons, legal definition lessons, fake food rations, baskets of supplies, teeth-brushing in pairs, basking in glorious sunshine, citizenship test, "There are refugees in Lancaster? What?," lunch, listening to music on the lawn, ultimate frisbee action, talkin' bout study abroad, or, as we like to call it, "Get the hell out of America.", financial lessons from a guy who is *not* Ben Lieber's son, service & learning, learning & service, leadership talks from kindred spirits (brothers from another mother, if you will), dinner (cornbread!), more down time/frisbee/cards/lounging action, LFCW 2013 Talent Extravaganza, still-freezing-cold dorm rooms.

Sunday = Chambersburg picture (did that ever happen?), extraordinary lives, what is leadership?, what is service?, clarification of the phrase "American exceptionalism," the future of the Foundation, the future of Lenfest Scholars (another 20 years? WHA!), Joel Hoover never needs a microphone, lunch again with take-home pizza, check outs, goodbyes, thank yous, hugs, see you next year!